Notice: As for test 1, the second test this year will have 30 multiple-choice questions and 10 short-answer questions, rather than 40 multiple-choice ones, and you will not need a scantron card; Also, questions on matter, light and telescopes will not be on this test, and that year we had not covered planets beyond Mars when this test was given. To see the version with the correct answers indicated, click here.

University of Mississippi
ASTR 103 Sections 09-12, Fall 2003

Test 2

Mark your choice of answer for each question on your scantron card. When you are finished, make sure that your name and the test number and version are written on the scantron card. Once you have handed in the scantron card and the instructor has checked your test version, you can take this test with you.

(1) How many protons does a helium atom have?
a. 0.
b. 1.
c. 2.
d. 4.

(2) Where are the electrons inside an atom?
a. Moving around within the nucleus.
b. Each electron sticks to one of the protons.
c. Each electron sticks to one proton and one neutron.
d. Outside the nucleus, each electron in a different state.

(3) In what way is a gas different from a liquid?
a. Atoms or molecules in gases have grown to much larger sizes.
b. Atoms or molecules in gases move faster and are more separated.
c. Gases are made of atoms, liquids are made of molecules.
d. Gases don't contain atoms or molecules, dense matter does.

(4) What happens inside an atom when it emits a photon of light?
a. An electron jumps from a higher to a lower energy state.
b. The atom loses one or more electrons.
c. All motion inside the atom slows down.
d. The nucleus of the atom cools down and shrinks.

(5) If two light waves have different wavelength, must they have also different frequency?
a. No, all forms of light have the same frequency.
b. Not necessarily, the frequency depends also on other factors.
c. Yes, the one with the longer wavelength has a higher frequency.
d. Yes, the one with the longer wavelength has a smaller frequency.

(6) Which of these colors of light has the longest wavelength?
a. Red.
b. Green.
c. Blue.
d. White.

(7) Which of these types of waves is different in nature from the others?
a. X-rays.
b. Microwaves.
c. Sound.
d. Visible light.

(8) Which types of electromagnetic waves can easily penetrate the atmosphere?
a. All types of electromagnetic waves.
b. Visible light, radio waves, and some infrared waves.
c. Only visible light and sound waves.
d. Only gamma rays, the most energetic ones.

(9) If a thin gas is heated to thousands of degrees, one obtains from it
a. An emission line spectrum.
b. An absorption line spectrum.
c. A continuous emission spectrum.
d. A continuous absorption spectrum.

(10) What kind of spectrum do we get from a star like the Sun?
a. An emission line spectrum.
b. An absorption line spectrum.
c. A continuous emission spectrum.
d. A continuous absorption spectrum.

(11) Does the fact that you see the chairs and walls in this room mean that they emit visible light?
a. No, they just reflect light; Objects at normal temperature don't emit any radiation at all.
b. No, they just reflect light; Objects at normal temperature emit mostly infrared radiation.
c. Yes; We need light bulbs on in the room to warm objects up so that they can emit light.
d. Yes; We need light bulbs on in the room so we can see the light emitted by objects in it.

(12) In which of these types of discoveries can amateur astronomers compete with professionals?
a. Comets.
b. Distant galaxies.
c. Star clusters.
d. None, their telescopes are not as good.

(13) What feature has made 10-m or larger mirrors for optical telescopes possible?
a. A new type of glass made it possible to build thinner mirrors.
b. The larger mirrors are made of different pieces, which are connected together.
c. Advances in laser techniques have enabled us to polish surfaces much better.
d. Better supports are now able to support the weight of larger mirrors.

(14) What is the main reason the Hubble Telescope gives great images?
a. It is outside the Earth's atmosphere.
b. It has the largest mirror ever built.
c. It is closer to the stars than Earth-bound telescopes.
d. It has the most sophisticated instruments.

(15) What are the direct consequences of increasing the size of a telescope mirror?
a. Ability to see fainter objects and better angular resolution.
b. Ability to see fainter objects and greater image magnification.
c. Better angular resolution and greater image magnification.
d. Greater image magnification and ability to see a larger portion of the sky.

(16) What is the source of all the energy produced in the Sun?
a. Nuclear reactions in the core that fuse hydrogen into helium.
b. Nuclear reactions in the core that convert uranium to plutonium.
c. Chemical reactions that combine oxygen and hydrogen.
d. Burning of gases on the surface coming from a reservoir in the core.

(17) Does the Earth receive from thge Sun anything in addition to visible light and other radiation?
a. No, radiation is the only thing that can travel in a vacuum.
b. Yes, a solar wind of high energy charged particles.
c. Yes, comets.
d. Yes, asteroids.

(18) What are the two types of planets in the solar system?
a. Terrestrial and Jovian.
b. Asteroids and Comets.
c. Prograde and Retrograde.
d. Celestial and Terrestrial.

(19) When was Mercury discovered?
a. Mercury can be seen with the naked eye, so it was known since prehistory.
b. In the early 1600's.
c. Around 1850.
d. In 1972.

(20) When is Mercury most likely to be high above the horizon?
a. In the daytime, when the Sun is high in the sky.
b. At night, when the sky is as dark as possible.
c. In winter.
d. In summer.

(21) How big is Mercury compared to the Earth?
a. Tiny, less than 1/10 the size of the Earth.
b. About 40% of the size of the Earth.
c. About 1.5 times as big as the Earth.
d. Huge, 5 times as big as the Earth.

(22) How does the surface of Mercury look like?
a. Rocky and cratered, similar to our Moon.
b. Rocky and hard, but completely smooth.
c. Completely covered by clouds.
d. Completely covered by ice.

(23) What caused the long cliffs or scarps seen on Mercury's surface?
a. An impact from a large asteroid.
b. The gravitational pull from the Sun.
c. The cooling and shrinking of the planet's interior.
d. Erosion by Mercury's thick atmopshere.

(24) Why is Venus so bright in the sky?
a. Its surface is so hot that it glows from the radiation it emits.
b. It is relatively close to us, and its thick cloud cover is very reflective.
c. Its atmosphere is lit up by constant thunderstorms and lightning.
d. It is the largest planet in the solar system.

(25) What does an orbiting spacecraft have to do to take pictures of the surface of Venus?
a. Use a very high resolution camera.
b. Bounce radio waves off the surface.
c. Use high energy X-rays.
d. Wait for the clouds to clear.

(26) In what way is Venus like a greenhouse?
a. The sky on Venus is green because of the color of the clouds.
b. The atmosphere is transparent to sunlight, like a glass cover.
c. The planet's surface is covered with plants but there is no animal life.
d. The atmosphere keeps the planet hot by trapping the heat it releases.

(27) Why does the surface of Venus appear reddish in photographs?
a. Because the rocks are rusty due to their high iron content.
b. Because of the heavy filtering of sunlight by the clouds.
c. Because of the special cameras used to take those photographs.
d. Because the photographs we have were all taken at sunset.

(28) What is peculiar about the features on Venus' surface?
a. The surface is completely smooth, with no craters at all.
b. There are craters, but not as many as on Mercury, and not very old.
c. The surface is completely covered in craters, with no smooth areas.
d. Those features are constantly changing, new ones form all the time.

(29) How many moons does Venus have?
a. None.
b. One.
c. Two.
d. Four.

(30) Does the Moon rotate?
a. No, that is why we always see the same side of the Moon.
b. Yes, it makes one full rotation every day.
c. Yes, once a month, the same rate at which it orbits us.
d. Yes, once a year, it always keeps the same side facing the Sun.

(31) Which of the following planets looks most like the Moon?
a. Mercury.
b. Venus.
c. Earth.
d. Mars.

(32) How were the dark, flat "maria" formed on the Moon?
a. From the impact of meteorites that pulverized the crust.
b. They are remnants of ancient seas that later evaporated.
c. From molten lava that flooded whole areas and solidified.
d. They are areas that have never been hit by asteroids yet.

(33) Is the the surface of the far side of the Moon different from the side we see?
a. Yes, it is more extensively covered with flat areas formed by solidified lava.
b. Yes, it is made of older, more heavily cratered highlands, with almost no flat "maria".
c. Yes, it is called the "dark side" because it is colder and almost covered with ice.
d. No, because the Moon rotates, there is no appreciable difference between the two sides.

(34) Is there, or was there in the past, water in any form on the Moon?
a. No, there was never any water on the Moon.
b. There is no water or ice now, but there was in the past.
c. Yes, the "maria" are partly frozen oceans on the Moon's surface.
d. Yes, there is water ice inside some polar craters.

(35) Are features like craters on the Moon being eroded?
a. No, because there is no atmosphere.
b. Yes, mostly by dust storms and winds.
c. Yes, mostly by water in the form of rain.
d. Yes but very slowly, by meteorite impact.

(36) According to the leading theory, how was the Moon formed?
a. The Earth and the Moon formed side by side at about the same time.
b. The Earth broke into two pieces due to its rapid spin, and one became the Moon.
c. Something the size of a small planet collided violently with the Earth.
d. The Moon used to be another planet, and it was captured by the Earth's gravity.

(37) How far is Mars from the Sun?
a. Half of our distance from the Sun.
b. 1.5 times our distance from the Sun.
c. 5 times as far as the Earth.
d. 20 times as far as the Earth.

(38) Which of the inner Solar System planets has spacecraft from Earth currently orbiting around it?
a. Mercury, Venus, and Mars.
b. Venus and Mars.
c. Mars.
d. None.

(39) Why aren't Mars' moons round like our Moon?
a. Because of collisions they have suffered.
b. Because they are too small for gravity to make them round.
c. Because the pull from Mars' gravity prevents them from being round.
d. Because there are two of them, whereas we only have one.

(40) What is the origin of Mars' moons?
a. They formed when a large object hit the surface of Mars.
b. They are probably asteroids captured by Mars' gravity.
c. They formed at the same time as Mars, from surrounding gas and dust.
d. They are large chunks of solidified lava, thrown into orbit by a volcano.